Commentary on Parashat Kedoshim - 'Holiness'

Commentary on Parashat Kedoshim — “Holy ones”

Leviticus 19:1-20:27; Ezek. 22:1-19 (A), Ezek. 22:2-20 (S); Ephesians 1:1-14

Two weeks ago, we read from Parashat Acharei Mot which was addressed to Aaron and his sons and dealt chiefly with the protocols necessary for the Yom Kippur rituals. Also mentioned were the strict regulations necessary for Aaron to be able to enter behind the Parochet into the presence of G-d, and live!

In contrast, our parasha this Shabbat called Kedoshim – holiness - is addressed to ‘kol adat B’nei Yisrael – the entire assembly of the children of Israel.

Lev 19:1-2

1     And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2   "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

From the first sentence in our Torah portion, we notice that holiness is not something reserved for the professionals – the Levites or the Priests. The theme of holiness pervades the entire parasha and is also found toward its conclusion:

Lev 20:26 - 26       'And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.

So, we see that the call to holiness is not limited only to the priests but is meant for everyone who is in the camp of Israel. Furthermore, our definition and understanding of holiness needs to be broadened to encompass the things listed in chapter 19. 

The fundamental concept of holiness has to do with the nature and character of G-d. HaShem is other and beyond compare. Our problem is that we think carnally. So, if someone has a more peaceful appearance, is more quiet and attentive, soft spoken and gentle even when correcting others …. we regard such a one as more holy than ourselves. Generally, this is how we regard holiness. We measure it in terms that we can grasp.

But, it is the wrong standard of measurement!

Amos 7:7-8

7    Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. 8     And the LORD said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said: "Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore.

But, the plumb line by which we measure holiness is divine and the standard revealed in the bible is beyond our comprehension and our ability to fully grasp.

And in our parasha, we are faced with a riddle. To be made holy, a thing must be separated from its context, clearly defined and demarcated, by G-d, for He is the One who sanctifies. Yet somehow, we are to contribute to that holiness. We are to 'be' holy. As I often say, we are not idle spectators sitting on the by-lines, watching the world go by. We play a pivotal role in the outworking of the call to be holy.

Rev 19:7-8

7          "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."

8         And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

HaShem is the sanctifier and the One who grants us that we be clothed in fine, white linen garments, garments that the High priest wore when he entered behind the veil on Yom Kippur into the divine presence.

But, the text stipulates that the bride made herself ready! Notice that the fine linen garment is a consequence of our good deeds – the righteous acts of the saints!

1 Pet 2:11-12

11   Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12        having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your  good  works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. 15  For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men -- 16        as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17   Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

By our conduct, we testify that we belong to the Lord. By our conduct, we honour G-d and enhance His reputation in the eyes of the observer. In Jewish theology, this is called Kiddush HaShem  - to edify and bless G-d’s holy name and reputation!

Eph 5:27 – G-d Himself will present to Himself a bride to be proud of, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing’. Yet, simultaneously, the bride – that is you and I – made herself ready!

2 Tim 2:20-23

20   But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21         Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 22   Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23       But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.

We are co-workers with G-d in the outworking of our destinies! And a way to grasp this tension and the answer to this riddle is in the curious and oft repeated liturgical formula, "who has sanctified us with His commandments." In Jewish practice, it is customary to preface the performance of a mitzvah with a brief blessing. For example, one who is about to put on the tzitzit is to say, "Blessed are you LORD our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us regarding the command of the tzitzit."

Now, believers well-versed in the Apostolic Scriptures might well object to a blessing like this by saying, "I am not sanctified by the commandments; I am sanctified by Messiah’s blood." Many years ago, I had a dear friend (of blessed memory) who argued with me on this very issue.

We are sanctified by Messiah:-

These are all true and marvellous statements. Our separation is not by virtue of our own heroic achievement. Rather we have been set apart by Messiah. He is the one who sanctifies, sets apart and makes holy. Yet sanctity is a cooperative process. God sanctified the Sabbath, and yet He tells us to keep it holy. Sanctity is definition. It sets the boundaries but they are not impervious! We have a role to play in maintaining sanctity.

1.  by faith in Messiah (1 Cor 1:2)
2.  by the sacrifice of Messiah (Heb 10:10)
3.  by the blood of Messiah and
4. by His Holy Spirit (Rom 15:16)
5. By the truth (John 17:19)
6. By the Word (1 Tim 4:5)
7. By G-d the Father (Jude 1:1)
8.  

For example, the sanctity of the Sabbath is not dependent upon us at all. Though we profane her for 24 hours, her actual sacred status is not at all diminished. She has been declared sacred by God, and there is nothing we can do to disrupt that sanctity. However, if we desecrate and do not honour the sanctity of the Shabbat, we miss out on her blessings. We are robbed of experiencing her sanctity.

So too, with our own sanctity. We are declared holy and separate on the basis of our redemption in Messiah. Our sanctity arises from Messiah’s righteousness, His sacrifice and His shed blood. Yet we can rob ourselves of experiencing that sanctity by stepping outside of its bounds. If we cross the boundaries and demarcations of our own holiness, we rob ourselves of the sanctity with which Messiah h as invested us.

The boundaries of sanctity are none other than the commandments of God. To cross them is to step outside of sanctity. To keep them is to remain within sanctity. And therefore, it is not too surprising to discover that there are 33 instructions contained in this parasha and it raises the bar as far as our understanding of holiness is concerned. These mitzvoth include both ritual and ethical commandments, on how to live a 'holy' life. If you look closely, you can even find a parallel version of the Ten Commandments (paraphrased in different words and a different order) scattered among the verses in chapter 19.

We urgently need to have our minds renewed on this critical topic! Some examples of holiness included in our parasha are:

 

• *Not reaping the harvest to the edge of the field;

 

Lev 19:9-10 - When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the       corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

The gleanings left at the edge of the fields were intended for the poor and so, we can add our treatment of strangers and the poor to our actions that constitutes holiness

• *how we treat the poor and the strange in our midst
• *Not lying to your neighbor
• *Not cursing a deaf person nor causing a blind person to stumble.

At first glance, the verse seems relatively straightforward and clear: don't insult the handicapped, and don't take advantage of someone who can't defend themselves. But the verse has two parts and gives a second example. In addition to not cursing the deaf the Torah adds, 'lifnei iveir lo titein michshol, do not put a stumbling block before the blind.' We should find this surprising. Does the Torah need to prohibit bullying? We assume that even in biblical times, individuals were not so callous as to routinely put a stumbling block before the blind.

The verse is therefore understood to not only prohibit deliberately tripping someone handicapped, but also to require us to remove stumbling blocks that others might have placed before others. In other words, we must pro-actively help remove obstacles from the path of the disabled.

Although the Torah provides two parallel examples of disabilities, the two are not identical and illustrate a basic and important principle in Torah interpretation. Cursing the deaf and putting a stumbling block before the blind teach different lessons. While a blind person would definitely feel the impact (literally) of someone tripping them, a deaf person would be oblivious to someone cursing them behind their back (so to speak). So the verse has two parts: don't harm someone handicapped, and don't take advantage of an individual even when you can get away with it!

• *Honoring one’s parents

Lev 19:3 - Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

 

Exod 22:31 - "And you shall be holy men to Me: you shall not eat meat torn by beasts in   the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

• *Keeping the Sabbath
• *Not stealing or dealing falsely with your neighbor
• *fair justice for all
• *no gossiping or slander – t’zora’at – loshen harah
• *no hatred or undue anger toward another who is created in the image and likeness of G-d
• *no desire for vengeance against another human being no matter what they have done to you
• *our diet – what we eat 

 

• *no involvement in the occult

 

Lev 19:31 - 'Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

In my opinion, this includes yoga. Now, I know that many believers do it believing that it is a harmless stretching exercise and is useful to keep one in shape. But, every yoga posture was designed to stimulate a particular chakra or energy centre (there are 7) and I don’t think that you can separate the two. This is just my opinion.

 

• *Keeping G-d’s set apart times - Moadim
*the sacrifices we bring to the Lord

 

Lev 27:9-10 - If it is an animal that men may bring as an offering to the LORD, all that   anyone gives to the LORD shall be holy. 10       'He shall not substitute it or exchange it, good for bad or bad for good; and if he at all exchanges animal for animal, then both it and the one changed for it shall be holy.

 

• *our tithe

 

Lev 27:32-33 - 'And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD. 33       'He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it;  and if he exchanges it at all, then both it and the one exchanged for it shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.'"

*no tattoos

Lev 19:27-28 - 'You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD.

 

• *being respectful toward the elderly

 

Lev 19:32 - 'You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old  man, and fear your God: I am the LORD.

 

• *sexual immorality and idolatry
• *not offering one’s offspring to molech

 

The list goes on and on. Some might seem obvious; others might seem mundane or trivial.  However, we must recalibrate our thinking to realize that neglecting to do the things instructed here, profanes G-d’s holy name.

AGAIN, ALLOW ME TO REMIND YOU; HOLINESS IS CENTRED ON G-D’S NAME AND CHARACTER!

So, all the cautions mentioned in Parashat Kedoshim have to do with staying close to HaShem. To live a life that falls short or misses the mark, is to sin foir a biblical definition of sin is to miss the mark.

You shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out. (Lev. 20:22 NKJV)

Then, we have to ask ourselves, can sin affect nature? What does it mean that of you behavior is so sinful that the Land will vomit you out?

At a foundational level, we have to understand that we are part of something far greater than ourselves and that everything we do or say influences our surroundings. When we obey the mitzvoth given by the Creator as revealed in Torah, we not only reflect His character and enhance His reputation, we also positively influence our own well being as well as those around us including the environment. There will be harmony and a pervading sense of peace, of shalom.

One Torah commentator suggested that when men obey the commandments the birds are fine, the fish rejoice, flowers shine and trees clap their hands. Men's lifestyle affects even the clouds in the sky, the sun rays, the speed of the moon and the earth's magnetic forces. The entire creation depends on men's fulfillment of the commandments or not.

In Hosea 4:1-3 it's written: “Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying.”

The land of Israel is set apart for a specific purpose. Since it is G-d’s land, sin against Him brings much more severe consequences in relation to the land. The land may vomit out (exile) its inhabitants if they don't obey the commandments of the Almighty. To sin in Israel is worse that sinning in the United Kingdom. To sin in Yerushalayim is worse than sinning in Eilat.

The prophets show us that when sin in Yerushalayim reaches certain level exile will fall upon the entire people. It wasn't the sin of the Babylonians and the Romans what caused the destruction of both temples. It was G-d who gave them power to do so because of the sinners in Zion didn't repent. It's not the Muslims' sins that cause wars in Israel with tens of thousands of deaths, and many more to come in the future.

It is a consequence of Israel’s apostasy and reluctance to make t’shuvah! Obedience brings peace and life. Disobedience brings war and death. It's our choice (Dev 30).

Let’s consider Yeshua’s instruction in Matt 5, Yeshua instructed us to love even our enemies.

Matt 5:44-48 - 44       "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45       "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise  on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46       "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47       "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?48       "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Be Perfect – the Greek word ‘teleios’ (tel'-i-os) means ‘to be complete, to be filled up with regard to maturity, moral character’ etc. The root word is ‘telos’, ‘the point aimed at as a target’. It means ‘the conclusion of the process’. Therefore, perfection is the goal of the process of sanctification. This desired state doesn’t happen immediately, it takes time.

The is the same word that Sha’ul uses in  Rom 10:4, when he says that Messiah “is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes”. Paul is not saying that Torah came to an end when Messiah entered onto the world’s stage. The Greek word for ‘end’ is our friend ‘telos’, ‘the point aimed at, the target’.

Now, ‘law’ or Torah in Hebrew, is derived from the root word ‘yarah’, which uses the imagery of an archer ‘aiming at a distant target and loosening an arrow’. That arrow which is Torah flies through time and space and finally finds the target – the point aimed at –who is Yeshua, the Messiah! This is what Paul is teaching in Romans 4:7!

What about the instruction to use honest scales?

“Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt. (Lev. 19:36) 

What is the relation between honest measures and the deliverance from Egypt? HaShem brought Israel out of Egypt to deliver them from what was there and to form a different people, a sacred people, set apart to serve Him and to become a beacon of light, a living witness and testimony to the nations!

Central to G-d’s standard of righteousness is the practice of justice, because justice is the very essence of G-d’s being. Even as G-d is righteous and just, so too does He command the people whom He has delivered from Egypt to emulate His example. Justice and honesty produce a culture of freedom and reflects the character of the Sacred One, blessed be his name!

And, in contrast to this high calling, we have to question TBN and the way Christianity is packed in the world’s media. Let me read you a quote by Rabbi Paul Saal:

"How sharp is the contrast between these selfless acts and the self-promoting, self-aggrandizing claims of some religious hucksters who             package God and sell His Holy Name like any other marketable  commodity. They call this well planned and efficient; I call it unethical and mercantile. But most of all I am appalled at the simplistic presentation of the Divine mysteries, and the casual dismissal of the historic Jewish experience. A lifetime of experience reminds me that God's highest values cannot be bartered through kitchy advertising slogans”.  Irreconcilable, it would appear, is the distance between the greatest sacrificial act the world has ever known and the banality of some             evangelistic programming.  Lost in the world of religious ballyhoo are the words, "Be holy because I the Lord your God am holy." These words of  course appear in natural juxtaposition to the commandments, therefore daring to suggest that more be expected from the fraternity of God than  the mindless recitation of slogans and endless recruitment for the primary purpose of group affirmation and acceptance”.

Then, to this call to holiness – as daunting as it may be - we must also consider the greater call and privilege to play a role in ‘Tikkun Olam’, repairing the rent in the fabric of the universe! This Jewish value – Tikkun HaOlam - suggests that each of us share in the responsibility toward the restoration of the world.

THIS VERY IDEA RAISES THE BAR AS FAR AS A HOLY LIFESTYLE IS CONCERNED! Many desire to accumulate spiritual experiences but too few desire to commit to a lifestyle of holiness that edifies HaShem's great Name and reputation!

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